Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review (Spoilers)

[matt_zimmer]

A Review of J.K. Rowling's fifth novel. Some Deathly Hallows specualtion so Half-Blood Prince is fair game.



I won't deny it. This is easily the most overrated Harry Potter book. Parts of it are not written very well (too many adverbs!) and Harry is unlikable throughout. Even worse is the main villain of the piece, Dolores Umbridge, who is SUCH an unlikable character that I kept feeling the need to put the book down just to get away from her. There's a difference between a character you love to hate (see Malfoy or Snape) and a character you just hate.

That said, since it IS a Harry Potter book there is much to recommend. Snape comes off as his most complex here, and Harry looking into his Pensieve and discovering his father WAS as arrogant as Snape always told him was a good twist. I was also glad to see Lupin and the real Mad-Eye Moody back.

LOTS of shocks in the book too and like Goblet of Fire each chapter seems to end on a cliffhanger of sorts. I also have to give the book props for unleashing Dementors on Privet Drive. This is the first book which I actually felt sympathy for the Dursleys and actually understood them.

Luna Lovegood is probably my favorite Harry Potter character ever (it used to be Snape until Half-Blood Prince). Weird chicks rock! I was actually hoping she and Harry would wind up together but it looks unlikely at this point.

The climax of the book is best read and more exciting if you read it fast and don't try to comprehend every single little thing about it. I imagine the guy on the book on tape reading it quickly in my mind and I'd be disappointed if he read it at the same pace as the rest of the book. The Climax isn't as well-written as Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire because the last two books all had endings that were inevitable. But The climax to Order of the Phoenix is more exciting because there really is no rhyme or reason to it and it's exciting to see Harry get in over his head in a situation he has absolutely no control over.

Sirius' death hit me hard but I had expected it to be someone else who died. The death at the end of Half-Blood Prince effected me more because it was a character who had been in the books from the very beginning.

And we finally find out about WHY Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby. Prophecies can be used as crutches in fiction but I have to say that the way Half-Blood Prince deals with the prediction leads me to believe the prophecy here isn't some huge deus ex machina.

The D.A. meetings in the book were SUCH an awesome concept. I love Hermione gently coaxing Harry into being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher by being brave enough to finally say Voldemort's name.

I have a theory why Harry was so angry this book. It deals with Occlumency and Legilamency. He was reacting so angrily in the book because of his connection to Voldemort and he was feeling Voldemort's rage and flew off the handle at the drop of the hat. Notice how in Half-Blood Prince when Voldemort cuts off his connection to Harry, Harry is back to normal. I think Harry's temper was more than just a symptom of hormones.

My favorite scene in the book is Fred and George's triumphant exit from Hogwarts and getting Peeves to give Umbridge "hell". I know Peeves hasn't been in any of the movies yet but this REALLY is my favorite scene from all six books so I hope the filmmakers find a way to include it.

Order of the Phoenix has quite a few faults and isn't perfect by ANY means but it's still a good book. ****.

Comments

[style92.livejournal.com]

I imagine Fred and George's dialouge could easily be shifted so that they tell the students to "give her hell!" (or even, cleverly have them command Ginny to do that personally, because at times she seems to be the heir to their tradition.) Otherwise, it would be kinda odd to introduce peeves so late. You know, if JK really wanted to screw the filmakers over, then she would have peeves be super, super integral to the last book, so much so that leaving him out would not be feasible, and force the filmmakers to scramble to put him in. But, I don't think she'd do that. Most indicaters are that she's by and large satisfied with the films, and works with the filmmakers when she can.

But you know, Fred and George's exit, coupled with the action packed finale, (the biggest, most sustained action sequance of the books,) made me suspicious that she may have been writing this one with an eye towards the eventual film adaption. Those sequances were just written so filmicly, that it was easy to see the potential. I just kept thinking, "god, this reads like a really awesome action movie!" at the end. Which definatly bodes well for the film. They tend to add more action to the finales of the films anyway, (the first film muddied the ending this way, the second film's ending I thought was an improvement over the book, [in the book, I though fawkes helped harry a bit *too* much, so cutting back fawke's involment and beefing up Harries was very welcome to me,] the third broke even for me, and I thought only the fourth movie did they restrain themselves and not make the confrontation with voldemort any more action packed than the book version was.) In fact, I'm worried that this movie may be the first one where we could worry that there may not be as much action in the finale as in the book. In that way, Rowling's version of the ending is sort of a dare.

And one last cute thing: this book, published in 2003, created an error in the film version of Sorcerer's Stone, 2001. In the film, after the first encounter with fluffy, Harry and Ron walk Hermione back up the stares to the girl's dorm, then she enters. in the order of the phoenix book, it's revealed that if boys try to clime the stairs to the girl's dorm, the stairs collapse into a slide. Interesting.

[mattzimmer.livejournal.com]

"I imagine Fred and George's dialouge could easily be shifted so that they tell the students to "give her hell!" (or even, cleverly have them command Ginny to do that personally, because at times she seems to be the heir to their tradition.) Otherwise, it would be kinda odd to introduce peeves so late. You know, if JK really wanted to screw the filmakers over, then she would have peeves be super, super integral to the last book, so much so that leaving him out would not be feasible, and force the filmmakers to scramble to put him in. But, I don't think she'd do that. Most indicaters are that she's by and large satisfied with the films, and works with the filmmakers when she can."

I think Peeves was in a deleted scene in Chamber of Secrets but I'm not sure. I DO remember that he was going to be played by Rik Mayal of Drop Dead Fred and The Young Ones fame. But you're right that the "Give her hell" line could be played with the students or Ginny. I just think Peeves made the order magnificent.

"But you know, Fred and George's exit, coupled with the action packed finale, (the biggest, most sustained action sequance of the books,) made me suspicious that she may have been writing this one with an eye towards the eventual film adaption. Those sequances were just written so filmicly, that it was easy to see the potential. I just kept thinking, "god, this reads like a really awesome action movie!" at the end. Which definatly bodes well for the film. They tend to add more action to the finales of the films anyway, (the first film muddied the ending this way, the second film's ending I thought was an improvement over the book, [in the book, I though fawkes helped harry a bit *too* much, so cutting back fawke's involment and beefing up Harries was very welcome to me,] the third broke even for me, and I thought only the fourth movie did they restrain themselves and not make the confrontation with voldemort any more action packed than the book version was.) In fact, I'm worried that this movie may be the first one where we could worry that there may not be as much action in the finale as in the book. In that way, Rowling's version of the ending is sort of a dare."

I agree with your assessments of how the films endings and the books measured up except for Prisoner of Azkaban. If you are counting the Shrieking Shack part of the ending the book's is far superior because it answers every single question of the mystery and is just more fun. However I WILL agree that the film's version of the Time-Turner is much better and more exciting. But the Shrieking Shack part of the book's ending makes it MUCH better than the film's as a whole.

"And one last cute thing: this book, published in 2003, created an error in the film version of Sorcerer's Stone, 2001. In the film, after the first encounter with fluffy, Harry and Ron walk Hermione back up the stares to the girl's dorm, then she enters. in the order of the phoenix book, it's revealed that if boys try to clime the stairs to the girl's dorm, the stairs collapse into a slide. Interesting."

This book made Chamber of Secrets have a MUCH bigger mistake in the film version. Hermione says Voldemort's name in Hagrid's cabin in the second film whereas her saying his name to a tantruming Harry to convince him to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the first time REALLY makes an impact. I can't wait to see what the filmakers do because that was SUCH a great impetus for Harry to start teaching the D.A. that I hope they come up with a better one. The films definately have the characters saying Voldemort's name too much.

[style92.livejournal.com]

"I agree with your assessments of how the films endings and the books measured up except for Prisoner of Azkaban. If you are counting the Shrieking Shack part of the ending the book's is far superior because it answers every single question of the mystery and is just more fun. However I WILL agree that the film's version of the Time-Turner is much better and more exciting. But the Shrieking Shack part of the book's ending makes it MUCH better than the film's as a whole."

I'll be honest: the shrieking shack in the book is one massive exposition-a-thon. And to a certain extent, you can get away with that in a book, if it's interesting enough. But if in the movie, everyone sat down and took 20 minutes to explain the whole back story, it would have killed it.

"This book made Chamber of Secrets have a MUCH bigger mistake in the film version. Hermione says Voldemort's name in Hagrid's cabin in the second film whereas her saying his name to a tantruming Harry to convince him to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the first time REALLY makes an impact. I can't wait to see what the filmakers do because that was SUCH a great impetus for Harry to start teaching the D.A. that I hope they come up with a better one. The films definately have the characters saying Voldemort's name too much."

Well, here's some different approaches:

-That's just one instance of her saying Voldemort in Chamber of Secrets. They could just ignore it and play it in the film exactly as in the book. Yes, it would create one minor continuity gaff. But, fans shouldn't get so anal about those. Just admit it was a mistake, and move on.

-OR: If it must be acknowledged, (which I still assert would be more trouble than it being worth,) then just set up a couple of scenes at grimmauld place and early hogwarts where Hermione really has become very superstitious about saying the name Voldemort. Explain that since Voldy's back, and Cedrick's Died, and Harry almost died, that she got just as afraid as everyone else was for a while. Then, when she's getting Harry to start the DA, her saying the name to convince him would still have resonance again.

Basically, it boils down to this: the internal continuity of each particular movie is more important than inter-movie continuity in this case. Oh, I'm not saying inter-movie continuity should be ignored. That's very important too. But, more so than the books, the movies have to re set up everything and re-sell it each time. dealing with Hermy's issues with Voldemort's name in this particular movie will cause very few to point out contradiction in Chamber of Secrets.

[mattzimmer.livejournal.com]

"I'll be honest: the shrieking shack in the book is one massive exposition-a-thon. And to a certain extent, you can get away with that in a book, if it's interesting enough. But if in the movie, everyone sat down and took 20 minutes to explain the whole back story, it would have killed it."

You're not wrong and they WOULDN'T have been able to get away with that in the movie. But the fact that the best part of the book was a twenty minute exposition scene DOESN'T mute the fact that it makes the ending to the book better.

"Well, here's some different approaches:

-That's just one instance of her saying Voldemort in Chamber of Secrets. They could just ignore it and play it in the film exactly as in the book. Yes, it would create one minor continuity gaff. But, fans shouldn't get so anal about those. Just admit it was a mistake, and move on.

-OR: If it must be acknowledged, (which I still assert would be more trouble than it being worth,) then just set up a couple of scenes at grimmauld place and early hogwarts where Hermione really has become very superstitious about saying the name Voldemort. Explain that since Voldy's back, and Cedrick's Died, and Harry almost died, that she got just as afraid as everyone else was for a while. Then, when she's getting Harry to start the DA, her saying the name to convince him would still have resonance again.

Basically, it boils down to this: the internal continuity of each particular movie is more important than inter-movie continuity in this case. Oh, I'm not saying inter-movie continuity should be ignored. That's very important too. But, more so than the books, the movies have to re set up everything and re-sell it each time. dealing with Hermy's issues with Voldemort's name in this particular movie will cause very few to point out contradiction in Chamber of Secrets."

I like your second idea better. I think the movies would be better off in playing in their own external continuities instead of ignoring gaffes.

And I disagree about the movies being made to resell everything each time. It was true of the first three movies but Goblet of Fire jumps straight into the action. If I hadn't read the books or seen the first three movies I would have been lost during it. I think it's better for it.

[style92.livejournal.com]

Ultimately, I keep in mind that Rowling's books are better handling the continuity because she has full and exclusive control of her content. The filmmakers are, by comparison, an army of several hundred people working together to try to realize her vision visually, and they don't even have access to all of it!

You know, I can see myself 20 or 30 years in the future. And someone like BBC or Hallmark Channel or whatever will start a new Mini-series adaption of Harry Potter. And I can forsee a lot of people then, claiming that the new adaption is better than "The old Warner Bros Movies" because they are much closer and more accurate to the books, inspite of lower production values. And I can already forsee my reaction to those claims: "Say what you will, but for me, Daniel Radcliffe IS Harry Potter, and I'll never say any different."

[mattzimmer.livejournal.com]

I'll worry about Potter updates in the futures as they happen. For now, Radcliffe is Harry for me to but if in a few years they want to reinvent the wheel I'll keep an open mind. As long as they don't start the reboot WHILE the Radcliffe version is still being made. :P